Cabrillo Beach 11-5-2010

It was really strange at Cabrillo Beach this afternoon/evening.  This is the 2nd week in a row with no halibut bites at all, quite a change from the previous two months of short halibut every trip. 

Here's the weird part about today - It was like a lake, flat and calm.  As it grew towards dusk some surface action developed around the kelp off the jetty's.  You could see bait being chased all around and occasionally smaller fish jumping out of the water.  I switched to my ultra-light tackle hoping to find some spotted bay bass.  (Last week a guy showed me a 12" he had caught right at dusk.)

What I ran into was a wide open lizard fish bite on swim baits .. .. like bass fishing only without the bass.  ; It was enormous fun.  They were all relatively small lizard fish but I caught a lot of em'!  I always thought of lizard fish as a sandy bottom dweller, mostly caught on bait, but there I was catching them right and left on light tackle and a small red rubber tailed swim bait.  It seemed like they were schooling.   Most of them seemed to going after small baitfish around the edge of the kelp.  It started just before dusk and kept up until I had to get off the water.  Lizard fish ... AURGH!!! 

So I'm still havin' great fun out here, but not much to show or brag about yet.  I took another stunning sunset picture but -- how many of those can I post?  I think there's a limit, right?

dB

I love your persistence dude! It's only a matter of time, haha 

Why don't you try launching out of King Harbor and try that area?

Sounds cool. I'm gonna have to google lizard fish, never heard of those

I left out this part -- I actually took the FIRST lizard fish I caught, nose hooked it on a halibut bait rig, and dragged it around on the bottom for about 45 minutes.   It stayed lively the entire time, but no takers.  I've heard lizard fish make good halibut bait but not yesterday.

Another observation:  We had a 3.8 earthquake yesterday morning, epicenter very nearby Cabrillo. (Epicenter = North Long Beach on Newport Inglewood fault.)  Back when I used to fish the party boats frequently, earthquakes tended to shut down bottom fishing for a few hours ... anyone else observe that?  ANOTHER OBSERVATION - The harbor dredge was working closer to the ramp and nearby fishing area ... a real disturbance to the water and surroundings.  But it's been working in the vicinity for several months now.  It was just much closer.

re: going to King Harbor - I work over in Redondo Beach on Sundays, and checked out the launch site.  (I'm an oranist/choir director for my 2nd job). It looks to be both easy and convenient.  Since I'm done by 1 pm I've figured I could take the yak over on Sundays and fish out of King Harbor after church.  But I have not done that yet.  I got the boat in Mid August.  I've really only had it out at Cabrillo, and then Humboldt Bay, Mad River Estuary, and Trinidad.  I do need to venture further afield and there are LOTS of places down here to try.  I tend to fish Cabrillo most often because I'm grabbing a quick afternoon after work and want to hit the water quickly, not drive another 30 minutes.  Cabrillo is so close to the house and so inviting and I've seen legal fish caught from there.   I guess there's a thin line between persistence and insanity.

I think half the fun is learning how things work, reading the situation, learning what techniques to try. Having a place to post about the experience is definitely part of it too -- thanks to all who chime in.

dB

ps -- just for fun I did a google image search for lizard fish and found this one eating a sand dab

http://www.divebums.com/week/2009/Jul27-2009/lizardfish_tracy-clark.jpg

thanks for the details on your southern adventures.....you are right about half the fun is just learning how things work. Keep on the 'but hunt and we all love a sunset picture(inTHEabsenceOFaFISHYone)

There's never a limit of pics you can post!!! I come on here every now and then just to look at pics when I'm bored at work, wishing I was fishing instead.  Keep the reports and pics coming and good luck on your next outting!!!!

OK Here's that sunset pic from 11-5.  I won't make it out this coming Friday. I'll be up in Sacramento (fly up and back the same day).  I'll be looking out the window at the Sacramento River in the morning ...  But if the gods are with me I will be down here fishing on Saturday, probably out of Cabrillo again but I might go to King Harbor just for a lark. -- 11-5-2010 Cabrillo Sunset below.